12 Things You Should Get Rid of NOW

For many of us, 2017 was a doozy, but we here at Brit + Co are ready to hit refresh in 2018! Follow our Hit Refresh series through January for new ideas, hacks, and skills that will help you achieve (and maintain!) those New Year’s resolutions.

Finally getting around to putting away your Christmas gifts and decor? It’s the perfect time to tap into your inner Marie Kondo and get rid of all the items that you just don’t need. Set yourself free from clutter and start the new year with a little extra cupboard space and fewer hazards in your home. How, you ask? Ditch these 12 things ASAP and you’ll start 2018 off right.

1. Empty Shoe Boxes: You definitely don’t need the boxes for those strappy sandals you bought for all those summer weddings in ’14 — especially because you don’t even still own the shoes. Just make sure you’re recycling as you go.

2. Picture Frames You Haven’t Used in Years: It’s perfectly natural for your tastes to change. If that “BFF Forever” frame with pink marabou that you thought was super cute back in college hasn’t seen the light of day post-graduation, it’s the perfect thing to donate or toss.

3. Holey Hosiery: Yes, you can mend a sock and technically you can fix tights with rips in them. But are you going to? Probably not. Find a way to repurpose them, donate them, or throw them away — just don’t keep ’em!

4. Old Bathroom Linens: Having an extra set of towels for guests makes total sense. Keeping a couple of sets with mystery stains for one day when your five besties happen to visit simultaneously is a bit of a stretch.

5. Almost Empty Bottles: Your bathroom and kitchen are probably full of bottles that have one ounce left. Combine them, put them into travel-size containers, or freeze edible items in ice cube trays. Do what you have to… just free up that space!

6. Old Textbooks: Sure, you paid a fortune for them all those years ago, but unless they have a direct application in your day-to-day work life, you can go ahead and pass these on. (Your local library might be interested, or you can look into textbook resale programs online.)

7. Dead Batteries: Instead of stashing them in your junk drawer for another year, find out where you can take these to be recycled safely. Check out Call2Recycle to find a place near you.

8. Expired Medication and Prescriptions: If your medicine cabinet is bursting, a good purge is in order. Check the labels and gather up anything that’s expired. Then, follow the instructions on the label or at FDA’s resource page to safely dispose of anything that needs to go.

9. Old Paint Cans: Did you know that paint can expire? If the temperatures dip below or rise above certain thresholds, the paint can be ruined. (So yeah, the cans that stayed in your garage through last winter are probably no good.) Check your local ordinances to see how to dispose of it. Good news: Latex paint is often safe to go in the trash.

10. Mystery Electric Cords: Your junk drawer has at least three cords that don’t have devices, right? Don’t keep them around! If you can’t pair them with a device, toss them.

11. Plastic Bags: Everyone has a plastic bag full of other plastic bags somewhere in their home. That’s great for picking up after Fido, but collecting bags for the sake of having them isn’t necessary. See if your pet-owning friends want them, and add some cute reusable bags to your purse for your next shopping trip.

12. Expired Canned Goods: That can of Spaghetti-Os will eventually expire. Take some time to go through your cupboards and make sure there isn’t anything in there from the first Obama administration. While you’re at it, move the older cans to the front to use them first.